Penthouse Suites---? Your experiences?

[Toranut97]

I hope it is ok to have started a new thread.

 

The upgrade gods/goddesses have seen fit to grant us a Penthouse Suite. I am beside myself with joy over the fact that there is a bathtub! I did a search of the forum for "penthouse suite" and found a few entries -- but it seems to me that there are some folks here who swear by these accommodations.

 

Not that I need help getting more and more pumped for this trip -- but can some of you tell me what you love about the suites? Also any tips on making the most of this great opportunity?

 

We sail the day before my birthday - woo hoo!!!!

[tropicalkerry2002]

YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!

We were fortunate to have a PH1 for our first cruise. Second cruise I prayed and prayed to no avail.

 

Enjoy the extra room. make use of your butler. Have dinner served in your room, course by course. have breakfast in your spacious room. love that your butler will make your reservations in polo and toscana.

 

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!

[LAexNY]

About 50% more living area. Also a larger bathroom with full tub.

[DOJO466]

YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!

We were fortunate to have a PH1 for our first cruise. Second cruise I prayed and prayed to no avail.

 

Enjoy the extra room. make use of your butler. Have dinner served in your room, course by course. have breakfast in your spacious room. love that your butler will make your reservations in polo and toscana.

 

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!

ditto tropicalkerry

[Oceanurse]

Dinner in the room is really something special- they pull out all the stops! They practially turn your suite into a dining room! It is wonderful- take advantage of it. Our butler was fantastic- so much so that we booked again- same ship- same cruise- in hopes of being lucky enough to experience the same excellent service again:D. The room is big and roomy but still cozy. We really enjoyed the bigger balcony...we really enjoyed breakfast in bed...we really enjoyed the bigger bathroom...Yikes! I have to wait 6 more months to see Ivan! Have a great cruise and Happy Birthday!

[Mura]

I'm a lover of the PH suites as well (although having had the luxury of an OS on one cruise and a VS on another ... well, we did get spoiled!).

 

For me, the added space as compared to the "A" cabins is what sells me. In an "A" or "B" cabin, if one of you is in the living area and another is by the bathroom, you both cannot cross the room at the same time. In a PH you can.

 

The bathroom is not huge in a PH but it's far superior to the "A" cabins -- yes, it's a tub with shower, not a tub with a separate shower, but I don't have a problem with that. I DO have a problem with the showers in the smaller cabins.

 

We tend not to use the butler service but it's certainly there. The one time we DID use the butler was when we were lucky enough to have the OS. I had blown out my knee the day before we boarded the ship, and I really needed the extra room to maneuver around the cabin in a wheelchair. I don't think I could have done that even in a PH. And because of my new disability, we had meals in our room a lot. So on that cruise, our butler was helping us every day.

 

Enjoy your PH! I'm sure you'll love it. (The extra room between the PH and the "A/B" cabins is mainly in the width of the cabin. That's why you can have a tub as opposed to a small shower, and it's very noticeable in the extra width of the veranda. You can easily eat outside on the veranda with the PH, and you really cannot -- well WE cannot -- with the smaller cabins.

 

Mura

[pondnana]

Nothing compares to coming back from a full day of touring, having a bath or shower, dressing in something comfy, opening a bottle of wine and waiting for dinner from Polo in the comfort of your room.

[wripro]

Or if you want to throw a little cocktail party in your PH you can have the butler arrange for shrimp cocktails, crab cakes or whatever you like to be served along with your drinks.

[Leonid]

Or if you want to throw a little cocktail party in your PH you can have the butler arrange for shrimp cocktails, crab cakes or whatever you like to be served along with your drinks.

 

Orchestrapal mentioned cheese & fruit trays, but shrimp cocktails and crab cakes...looks like the trans canal sailing on the Marina just got better.

[Toranut97]

Oh wow! I was excited about the extra space...and the tub...but after reading your suggestions, they may just need to drag me kicking and screaming from the ship at the end of the cruise. Woo hoo! Thanks everyone!

[mountain grandma]

Or if you want to throw a little cocktail party in your PH you can have the butler arrange for shrimp cocktails, crab cakes or whatever you like to be served along with your drinks.

 

I ditto all the comments about the PH suites--they are wonderful!! I do have one ??--are the shrimp cocktails, crab cakes, and things that are not on the daily suite appetizer menus included or at an extra cost. On longer cruises, we sometimes get tired of the same things everyday.:)

 

Billie

[JBVols]

Mountain grandma

 

Great question, I

have asked the same thing.

[LHT28]

I ditto all the comments about the PH suites--they are wonderful!! I do have one ??--are the shrimp cocktails, crab cakes, and things that are not on the daily suite appetizer menus included or at an extra cost. On longer cruises, we sometimes get tired of the same things everyday.:)

 

Billie

I am sure all the food is included but never had a PH

[Oceanurse]

You can get the appetizers from the dining rooms (any of the them) but have to wait until 6:30pm....well worth the wait!

[wripro]

As posted above since you can order off the dining room menus in a PH any appetizer found there can be delivered to y our suite.

[StanandJim]

As posted above since you can order off the dining room menus in a PH any appetizer found there can be delivered to y our suite.

 

Oceania also does gorgeous trays of really elegant canapés. The chefs make them to order and they are visually stunning, as well as delicious. There is a charge for that type of thing, however.

 

We wouldn't try this in a Penthouse, but we once had twenty at a Sail Away party in a Vista Suite. Obviously, getting the restaurant appetizers would not have been adequate for a group that size.

 

I do recall that we thought that the hors d'oeuvre were lovely and not very expensive, comparatively speaking, but then we are used to Manhattan prices.

[raffeer]

We had an OS on two occasions and reluctantly accepted a PH a few years ago. Frankly I enjoyed the PH more because I was able to lie in bed and see the water. The configuration of the OS does not allow this nor did it permit sight of the sea when lounging on the beautiful veranda due to the opaque (metal) side wall surrounding the area.

The PH left little to be desired and I imagine it will be even better on Marina

[katz]

We enjoyed a PH1 on our Med cruise. The room was beautiful. The bathroom was huge, by cruise ship standards. I loved the bath salts that were provided each day.

 

Our butler was wonderful. We are not the butler types, but we did enjoy the pampering. He was like the Genie in the Bottle. Our wish was his command. All we had to do was page him and he magically appeared. You must try dinner in your room. It is very nice after a long day of touring. He would leave us little notes and small gifts.

 

We ordered the canapes each day, just because we could. There isn't an extra charge for them. A bottle of champagne and bowl of fruit will be waiting for you, along with a bud vase of fresh flowers.

 

Enjoy this great experience.

[Jancruz]

Congrats on your upgrade!

 

My very favorite ....breakfast out on the large balcony in my fluffy robe watching as we sail through the beautiful water...seeing fish and birds while sipping coffee, or watching small boats surround us while pulling into port..what a treat!!

Jancruz1

[joan24]

Congrats on your upgrade!

 

My very favorite ....breakfast out on the large balcony in my fluffy robe watching as we sail through the beautiful water...seeing fish and birds while sipping coffee, or watching small boats surround us while pulling into port..what a treat!!

Jancruz1

 

Jan that is a wonderful visual. I just have to wait until next July on the Marina. until I can do the same thing.

Joan

[DOJO466]

Congrats on your upgrade!

 

My very favorite ....breakfast out on the large balcony in my fluffy robe watching as we sail through the beautiful water...seeing fish and birds while sipping coffee, or watching small boats surround us while pulling into port..what a treat!!

Jancruz1

 

Watch out for those darn birds, they'll steal those chocolate croissants right out of your hand:D.

[Jancruz]

Jan that is a wonderful visual. I just have to wait until next July on the Marina. until I can do the same thing.

Joan

 

Arent we so lucky to be able to do these wonderful trips..

Jancruz1

[SunDapple]

Nothing compares to coming back from a full day of touring, having a bath or shower, dressing in something comfy, opening a bottle of wine and waiting for dinner from Polo in the comfort of your room.

 

I'm with you pondnana, it's pure heaven after a full day in port. Be aware though that if you choose to dine from one of the restaurants, you both have to order from the same menu. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, since my DH loved Polo more than Toscana, and I, the opposite.

[StanandJim]

I'm with you pondnana, it's pure heaven after a full day in port. Be aware though that if you choose to dine from one of the restaurants, you both have to order from the same menu. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, since my DH loved Polo more than Toscana, and I, the opposite.

 

Never heard of any such restriction. I'm sure that they would prefer that you keep it to one restaurant, but your butler should be able to serve anything that you would like.

We've had great success with giving our butler half of his tip up front.....after that, we never hear the word no ;)

[Jancruz]

I'm with you pondnana, it's pure heaven after a full day in port. Be aware though that if you choose to dine from one of the restaurants, you both have to order from the same menu. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, since my DH loved Polo more than Toscana, and I, the opposite.

 

Sorry not the case..you can each order from al three menus different courses, if your butler didnt say that, and you were in a Penthouse, he was incorrect

Jancruz1